MESSAGE 


r  FROM  THE 

PRESIDENT 

OF  THE 

UNITED  STATES, 

TO 

BOTH  HOUSES  OF  CONGRESS. 

— a— raro— — — ■  — — i mb»— wamaaew 

15th  December,  1802. 

Read \  and  ordered  to  be  committed  to  the  Committee  of  the 
whole  House  on  the  state  of  the  Union. 


WASHINGTON  CITY  I 


PRINTED  AT  THE  APOLLO  PRESS, 

BY  W.  DUANE  &  SON. 


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TO  TIIE 

SENATE  and  HOUSE  of  REPRESENTATIVES 

or  tss 


UNITED  STATES . 


When  we  assemble  together,  fellow-citizens, 
to  consider  the  state  of  our  beloved  country,  our 
just  attentions  are  first  drawn  to  those  pleasing  cir¬ 
cumstances  which  mark  the  goodness  of  that  Being 
from  whose  favor  they  flow,  and  the  large  measure 
of  thankfulness  we  owe  for  his  bounty  ;  another  year 
is  come  around,  and  finds  us  still  blessed  with  peace 
and  friendship  abroad,  law,  order,  and  religion  at 
home,  good  affection  and  harmony  with  our  Indian 
neighbors,  our  burthens  lightened,  yet  our  income 
sufficient  for  the  public  wants,  and  the  produce  of 
the  year  great  beyond  example.  These,  fellow- 
citizens,  are  the  circumstances  under  which  we 
meet :  and  we  remark,  with  special  satisfaction, 
those  which,  under  the  smiles  of  Providence,  result 
from  the  skill,  industry,  and  order  of  our  citizens, 
managing  their  own  affairs  in  their  own  way,  and 
for  their  own  use,  unembarrassed  by  too  much 
regulation,  unoppressed  by  fiscal  exactions. 


On  the  restoration  of  peace  in  Europe,  that  por¬ 
tion  of  the  carrying  trade,  which  had  fallen  to  our 
share  during  the  war,  was  abridged  by  the  returning 
competition  of  the  belligerent  powers.  This  was 
to  be  expected,  and  was  just.  But,  in  addition,  we 
find,  in  some  parts  of  Europe,  monopolizing  discri¬ 
minations,  which,  in  the  form  of  duties,  tend  effectu¬ 
ally  to  prohibit  the  carrying  thither  our  own  produce 


(  4  ) 


in  our  own  vessels.  From  existing  amities,  and  a 

spirit  of  justice,  it  is  hoped  that  friendly  discussion 

will  produce  a  fair  and  adequate  reciprocity.  Bin 

should  false  calculations  of  interest  defeat  our  hope, 

it  rests  with  the  legislature  to  decide  whether  they 

will  meet  inequalities  abroad  with  countervailing 

inequalities  at  home,  or  provide  for  the  evil  in  any 

other  wav. 

* 

It  is  with  satisfaction  I  lay  before  you  an  act  of 
the  British  parliament  anticipating  this  subject,  so 
far  as  to  authorize  a  mutual  abolition  of  the  duties 
and  countervailing  duties,  permitted  under  the  trea¬ 
ty  of  1794.  It  shews  on  their  part  a  spirit  of  justice 
and  friendly  accommodation,  which  it  is  our  duty 
and  our  interest  to  cultivate  with  all  nations.  Whe¬ 
ther  this  would  produce  a  due  equality  in  the  navi¬ 
gation  between  the  two  countries,  is  a  subject  for 
vour  consideration. 

Another  circumstance  which  claims  attention,  as 
directly  affecting  the  very  source  of  our  navigation, 
is  the  defect,  or  the  evasion  of  the  law  providing 
for  the  return  of  seamen,  and  particularly  of  those 
belonging  to  vessels  sold  abroad.  Numbers  of 
them,  discharged  in  foreign  ports,  have  been  thrown 
on  the  hands  of  our  consuls,  who,  to  rescue  them 
from  the  dangers  into  which  their  distresses  misrht 
plunge  them,  and  save  them  to  their  country,  have 
found  it  necessarv  in  some  cases,  to  return  them  at 
the  public  charge, 

The  cession  of  the  Spanish  province  of  Louisiana 
to  France,  which  took  place  in  the  course  of  the 
late  war,  will,  if  carried  into  effect,  make  a  change 
in  the  aspect  of  our  foreign  relations,  which  will 
doubtless  have  just  weight  in  any  deliberations!  of 
the  legislature  connected  with  that  subject. 


,(  5  ) 

There  was  reason,  not  long  since,  to  apprehend 
that  the  warfare  in  which  we  were  engaged  with 
Tripoli  might  be  taken  up  by  some  other  of  the 
Barbary  powers.  A  reinforcement  therefore  was  im¬ 
mediately  ordered  to  the  vessels  already  there. 
Subsequent  information  however  has  removed  these 
apprehensions  for  the  present.  To  secure  our  com¬ 
merce  in  that  sea,  with  the  smallest  force  compe¬ 
tent,  we  have  supposed  it  best  to  watch  strictly  the 
harbor  of  Tripoli.  Still  however  the  shallowness 
of  their  coast,  and  the  want  of  smaller  vessels  on 
our  part,  has  permitted  some  cruisers  to  escape  un¬ 
observed  :  and  to  one  of  these  an  American  vessel 
unfortunately  fell  a  prey.  The  captain,  one  Ameri¬ 
can  seaman,  and  two  others  of  colour,  remain  pri¬ 
soners  with  them  ;  unless  exchanged  under  an 
agreement  formerly  made  with  the  Bashaw,  to 
whom,  on  the  faith  of  that,  some  of  his  captive  sub¬ 
jects  had  been  restored. 

The  convention  with  the  state  of  Georgia  has  been 
ratified  by  their  legislature,  and  a  repurchase  from 
the  Creeks  has  been  consequently  made,  of  a  part  of 
the  Talasscee  county.  In  this  purchase  has  been 
also  comprehended  a  part  of  the  lands  within  the  fork 
of  Oconee  and  Oakmulgee  rivers.  The  particulars 
of  the  contract  will  belaid  before  Congress  so  socn 
as  they  shall  be  in  a  state  for  communication. 

In  order  to  remove  every  ground  of  difference 
possible  with  our  Indian  neighbors,  I  have  proceed¬ 
ed  in  the  work  of  settling  with  them,  and  making 
the  boundaries  between  us.  That  with  the  Choc¬ 
taw  nation  is  fixed  in  one  part,  and  will  be  through 
the  whole  within  a  short  time.  The  country  to 
which  their  title  had  been  extinguished  before  the 
^revolution  is  sufficient  to  receive  a  very  respectable 
populution,  which  Congress  will  probably  see  the 


(  6  ) 


expediency  of  encouraging,  so  soon  as  the  limits 
shall  be  declared,  We  are  to  view  this  position  as 
an  outpost  of  the  United  States,  surrounded  by 
strong  neighbors,  and  distant  from  its  support. 
And  how  far  that  monopoly,  which  prevents  popu¬ 
lation,  should  here  be  guarded  against,  and  actual^ 
habitation  made  a  condition  of  the  continuance  of 
title,  will  be  for  your  consideration.  A  prompt 
settlement  top  of  all  existing  rights  and  claims  with¬ 
in  tlris  territory,  presents  itself  as  a  preliminary 
operation. 

* 

In  that  part  of  the  Indiana  territory  which  in¬ 
cludes  Vincennes,  the  lines  settled  with  the  neigh¬ 
boring  tribes  fix  the  extinction  of  their  title  at  a 
breadth  of  twenty  four  leagues  from  East  to  West, 
and  about  the  same  length,  parallel  with  and  includ¬ 
ing  the  Wabash.  They  have  also  ceded  a  tract  of 
four  miles  square,  including  the  Salt- springs  near 
the  mouth  of  that  river. 


In  the  department  of  finance,  it  is  with  pleasure 
I  inform  you  that  the  receipts  of  external  duties,  for 
the  last  twelve  months  have  exceeded  those  of  any 
former  year, and  that  the  ratio  of  increase  has  been  al¬ 
so  greater  than  usual.  This  has  enabled  us  to  answer 
all  the  regular  exigencies  of  government,  to  pay  from 
the  treasury,  within  one  year,  upwards  of  eight  mil¬ 
lions  of  dollars  principal  and  interest,  of  the  public 
debt,  exclusive  of  upwards  of  one  million  paid  by 
the  sale  of  bank  stock,  and  making  in  the  whole  a 
reduction  of  nearly  five  millions  and  an  half  of  prin¬ 
cipal,  and  to  have  now  in  the  treasury  four  millions 
and  an  half  of  dollars,  which  are  in  a  course  of  ap¬ 
plication  to  the  further  discharge  of  debt,  and  cur¬ 
rent  demands.  Experience  too,  so  far,  authorised 
us  to  believe,  if  no  extraordinary  event  supervenes* 
and  the  expences  which  will  be  actually  incurred 


(  7  ) 


shall  not  be  greater  than  were  contemplated  by  Con¬ 
gress  at  their  last  session,  that  we  shall  not  be  dis¬ 
appointed  in  the  expectations  then  formed.  But 
nevertheless  as  the  effect  of  peace  on  the  amount  of 
duties  is  not  yet  fully  ascertained,  it  is  the  more  ne¬ 
cessary  to  practise  every  useful  ceconomy,  and  to 
incur  no  expence  which  may  be  avoided  without 
prejudice. 

The  collection  of  the  internal  taxes  having  been 
compleated  in  some  of  the  states,  the  officers  em¬ 
ployed  in  it  are  of  course  out  of  commission.  In 
others  they  will  be  so  shortly,  but  in  a  few,  where 
the  arrangements  for  the  direct  tax  had  been  retard¬ 
ed,  it  will  still  be  some  time  before  the  system  is 
closed.  It  has  not  yet  been  thought  necessary  to  em¬ 
ploy  the  agent  authorised  by  an  act  of  the  last  session, 
for  transacting  business  in  Europe  relative  to  debts 
and  loans.  Nor  have  we  used  the  power,  confided 
by  the  same  act,  of  prolonging  the  foreign  debt  by 
re-loans,  and  of  redeeming  in  stead  thereof,  an  equal 
sum  of  the  domestic  debt.  Should  however  the  di- 
ficulties  of  remittance  on  so  large  a  scale,  render  it 
necessary  at  any  time,  the  power  shall  be  executed, 
and  the  money  thus  unemployed  abroad  shall,  in 
conformity  with  that  law,  be  faithfully  applied  here 
in  an  equivalent  extinction  of  domestic  debt.  When 
effects  so  salutary  result  from  the  plans  you  have  al¬ 
ready  sanctioned,  when  merely  by  avoiding  false  ob¬ 
jects  of  expence,  we  are  able,  without  a  direct  tax, 
without  internal  taxes,  and  without  borrowing,  to 
make  large  and  effectual  payments  towards  the  dis¬ 
charge  of  our  public  debt,  and  the  emancipation  of 
our  posterity  from  that  mortal  canker,  it  is  an  en¬ 
couragement,  fellow- citizens,  of  the  highest  order, 
to  proceed  as  we  have  begun  in  substituting  cecono¬ 
my  for  taxation,  and  in  pursuing  what  is  useful  for 
a  nation  placed  as  we  are,  rather  than  what  is  prac- 


/ 


(  8  ) 


tised  by  others  under  different  circumstances.  And 
whensoever  we  are  destined  to  meet  events  which 
shall  call  forth  all  the  energies  of  our  countrymen, 
we  have  the  firmest  reliance  on  those  energies,  and 
the  comfort  of  leaving  for  calls  like  these,  the  ex¬ 
traordinary  resources  of  loans  and  internal  taxes,  in 
the  mean  time,  by  payments  of  the  principal  of  our 
debt,  we  are  liberating,  annually,  portions  of  the  ex¬ 
ternal  taxes,  and  forming  from  them  a  growing 
fund,  still  further  to  lessen  the  necessity  of  recur¬ 
ring  to  extraordinary  resources. 

The  usual  account  of  receipts  and  expenditures 
for  the  last  year,  with  an  estimate  of  the  expences 
of  the  ensuing  one,  will  be  laid  before  you  by  the 
secretary  of  the  treasury. 

No  change  being  deemed  necessary  in  our  mili¬ 
tary  establishment,  an  estimate  of  its  expences  for 
the  ensuing  year,  on  its  present  footing,  as  also  of 
the  sums  to  be  employed  in  fortifications,  and  other 
objects  within  that  department,  has  been  prepared 
by  the  secretary  at  war,  and  will  make  a  part  ol  the 
general  estimates  which  will  be  presented  you. 

Considering  that  our  regular  troops  are  employed 
for  local  purposes,  and  that  the  militia  is  our  general 
reliance  for  great  and  sudden  emergencies,  you  will 
doubtless  think  this  institution  worthy  of  a  review, 
and  give  it  those  improvements  of  which  you  find 
it  susceptible. 

Estimates  for  the  naval  department,  prepared  by 
.  the  secretary  of  the  navy  for  another  year,  will  in 
Tike  manner  be  communicated  with  the  general  esti¬ 
mates.  A  small  force  in  the  Mediterranean  will  still 
be  necessary  to  restrain  the  Tripoline  cruisers  :  and? 
the  uncertain  tenure  of  peace  with  some  other  of  the 
Barbary  powers,  may  eventually  require  that  force  to 


(  9  ) 


be  augmented.  The  necessity  of  procuring  some 
smaller  vessels  for  that  service,  will  raise  the  esti¬ 
mate  :  but  the  difference  in  their  maintenance  will 
soon  make  it  a  measure  of  (Economy. 

*  Presuming  it  will  be  deemed  expedient  to  expend 

r  annually  a  convenient  sum  towards  providing  the 
naval  defence  which  our  situation  may  require,  I 
connot  but  recommend  that  the  first  appropriations 
.  for  that  purpose,  may  go  to  the  saving  what  we  al¬ 
ready  possess.  No  cares,  no  attentions,  can  pre¬ 
serve  vessels  from  rapid  decay,  which  lie  in  water, 
and  exposed  to  the  sun.  These  decays  require  great 
and  constant  repairs,  and  will  consume,  if  continued, 
a  great  portion  of  the  monies  destined  to  naval  pur¬ 
poses.  To  avoid  this  waste  of  our  resources,  it  is 
proposed  to  add  to  our  navy  yard  here  a  dock,  with¬ 
in  which  our  present  vessels  may  be  laid  up  dry, 
and  under  cover  from  the  sun.  Under  these  cir¬ 
cumstances  experience  proves  that  works  of  wood 
will  remain  scarcely  at  all  affected  by  time.  The 
great  abundance  of  running  water  which  this  situa¬ 
tion  possesses,  at  heights  far  above  the  level  of  the 
tide,  if  employed  as  is  practised  for  lock  navigation, 
furnishes  the  means  for  raising  and  laying  up  our 
vessels  on  a  dry  and  sheltered  bed.  And  should 
the  measure  be  found  useful  here,  similar  deposito¬ 
ries  for  laying  up,  as  well  as  for  building  and  re¬ 
pairing  vessels,  may  hereafter  be  undertaken  at  other 
navy  yards,  offering  the  same  means.  The  plans 
and  estimates  of  the  work  prepared  by  a  person  of 
skill  and  experience,  will  be  presented  to  you,  with¬ 
out  delay,  and  from  these  it  will  be  seen  that  scarcely 
more  than  has  been  the  cost  of  one  vessel  is  neces¬ 
sary  to  save  the  whole,  and  that  the  annual  sum  to 
be  employed  towards  its  completion  may  be  adapted 
to  the  views  of  the  legislature  as  to  naval  expendi¬ 
ture. 

B 


(  10  ) 


To  cultivate  peace  and  maintain  commerce  and 
navigation  in  all  their  lawful  enterprises ;  to  foster 
our  fisheries  as  nurseries  of  navigation  and  for  the 
nurture  of  man,  and  protect  the  manufactures  adapt¬ 
ed  to  our  circumstances ;  to  preserve  the  faith  of 
the  nation  by  an  exact  discharge  of  its  debts  and  \ 
contracts,  expend  the  public  money  with  the  same 
care  and  economy  we  would  practise  with  our  own, 
and  impose  on  our  citizens  no  unnecessary  bur¬ 
thens  ;  to  keep  in  all  things  within  the  pale  of  our 
consitutional  powers,  and  cherish  the  federal  union, 
as  the  only  rock  of  safety  ;  these,  fellow-citizens,  are 
the  landmarks  by  which  we  are  to  guide  ourselves 
in  all  our  proceedings.  By  continuing  to  make 
these  our  rule  of  action,  we  shall  endear  to  our  coun- 
tryment  the  true  principles  of  their  constitution,  and 
promote  an  union  of  sentiment  and  of  action,  equally 
auspicious  to  their  happiness  and  safety.  On  my 
part  you  may  count  on  a  cordial  concurrence  in 
every  measure  for  the  public  good  ;  and  on  all  the 
information  I  possess  which  may  enable  you  to  dis* 
charge  to  advantage  the  high  functions  with  which 
you  are  invested  by  your  country. 

TH:  JEFFERSON, 


15//6  December,  1802, 


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